5 Ways to Help Your Young Child Prepare to Go Back to School

PEKIN, Illi.– Summer still has plenty of sun and warmth for us to enjoy, but there’s no denying the season is coming to a close, along with the seemingly brief vacation from school that comes with it. The month of August can be a stressful time for you and your child as they prepare to head back to school.

However, there are ways you can help your child make a smooth transition from eating popsicles under the sun to learning times tables in a classroom. We thought these 5 ways to help your young child prepare to go back to school might make that transition a bit less rocky for you and your young child. Take a look:

1. Have a talk with your child about how ready they feel. It seems the most rational place to start when it comes to preparing your child to go back to school is to simply have a talk with them about how ready they are to adjust to a school routine. What subjects are they excited to learn? Are they nervous about anything? Do they know what friends will be in their classroom? Do they know who their teacher is? Ask questions that will make them consider what a school day entails so they can begin to adjust their mindset ahead of time.


2. Attend classroom or school orientations with your child. Not every school hosts orientations, but if they do at your child’s school it would be wise to attend one with them. This will reintroduce your child to the school’s atmosphere, and help them become familiar with the premises so they aren’t totally out of their element on the first day. This is especially helpful if your child is attending a new school for the first time.


3. Make buying school supplies fun for your child. Leading up to the first day of school, one of the events that might strike fear or anxiety into your child is dragging them to the store to purchase necessary school supplies for the semester. Some children may feel apprehensive about a trip like this because those items are associated with –– gulp –– learning, homework, and being away from home for 7–8 hours a day. However, you can make buying school supplies fun for your child. Give them some freedom to pick out the items they like, just make sure they stick to any guidelines that exist from the school.


4. Put your child back on a school schedule before school starts. This one could be the hardest to implement in the last weeks of summer, but it will definitely help you and your child adjust to the school year and make the transition easier. Start putting your child to bed earlier and waking them up earlier. Tell them they need to come in from playing outside a little earlier in the evening. Doing these things will help your child prepare for a school schedule that permits less playtime or staying up late. It will prepare them for a schedule that revolves more around homework, extracurricular activities, and getting more sleep for long days. 


5. Instill independence in your child. Anxiety due to being away from their parents is one of the tough issues kids face when they go back to school. To prevent anxiety in your child, it might be a good idea to instill some independence in them so they become used to being away from you. Let them pick out certain school supplies, as mentioned, or let them choose what they want for lunch on their first day of school.

We’ve all been there and know how tough it can be to start a new school year, especially if its your first time or if you're attending a new school. Hopefully these 5 ways to help your young child prepare to go back to school give you some ideas for what you can do to mitigate the anxiety and calm the nerves that your child may experience as summer vacation closes and school draws near.  

After you drop your child off at school this fall, remember to stop in at our Morton area used car dealer to get a quick oil change or have some auto service taken care of! At Velde Automotive Group, we are committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Feel free to visit either of our dealerships, Velde Ford at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554 or Velde Cadillac Buick GMC is located at 2220 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.

Visit our websites: VeldeGM.com and VeldeFordPekin.com

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2015 Ford F-150 First Pickup to Earn 5-Star Rating for SuperCrew Model

PEKIN, Illi.– Here’s some news that might throw a few of you off: the 2015 Ford F-150 is the first pickup to earn a 5-star safety rating for its SuperCrew model from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The 2015 Ford F-150 is expected to be the top vehicle driven by military members as it was in 2014, and has already earned a number of awards. Now the F-150 has gone a step further by giving a superb crash test performance due to a 700-pound weight loss through its high-strength steel frame, aluminum alloy body, and flat out ingenious engineering.

The weight loss wasn’t easy, but a team of Ford truck product development veterans and researchers were able to pull it off and create a durable, capable, fuel efficient, safe pickup. According to Ford, the team developed 31 safety-related advancements like new structures, materials and joining methods that were virtually tested with supercomputer simulations before the F-150 was retested in advanced laboratories and engineered as the safest F-150 yet.

Despite the fact that the 2015 Ford F-150 is the first pickup to earn a 5-star safety rating for its SuperCrew model, there are still plenty of doubters out there who claim the repair costs of the new F-150 are too high. In the words of Taylor Swift, "Haters gonna hate," but you can bet Ford totally disagrees with these claims that are based on data from unrealistic stunts and has no problem disproving them on the truth about truck safety and repairability

Ford prefers to look at real-world accident repair data because, well, you’re a real person and could find yourself in a real accident, not some contrived stunt. And the real-world repair costs aren’t actually that high. In fact, Ford says real-world repair costs for the 2015 F-150 end up being about $869 less than last year’s F-150 model, according to the body shop certification company Assured Performance. Allstate and State Farm have also backed up Ford’s claims that the 2015 F-150’s repair costs are affordable, stating that insurance costs are comparable with 2014 models.

Regardless of what doubters say, Ford has the facts and this top safety award, not to mention support from other companies, proves that the 2015 Ford F-150 is a capable, durable, safe pickup. Got a ding in your 2015 F-150? Feel free to bring it into our collision shop! If you still need to be convinced that this is the highest-quality pickup in the market, feel free to come test-drive any of the New Ford Trucks at our Washington, IL, area Ford dealership!

At Velde Automotive Group, we are committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Feel free to visit either of our dealerships, Velde Ford at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554 or Velde Cadillac Buick GMC is located at 2220 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.

Visit our websites: VeldeGM.com and VeldeFordPekin.com

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Ford Driving Dreams Tour Extended to Panama

PEKIN, Illi.– Ford has held a community-driven presence in America and other nations for over a century, but for the first time Ford and Ford Motor Company Fund have extended the Ford Driving Dreams Tour beyond the borders of the United States.

Ford Fund created the Ford Driving Dreams Tour in 2012 to help Latino youth in graduate on time and pursue higher education. Since then the program has aided over 30,000 students in Chicago, Indiana, Florida and Texas, and granted over $1,500,000 in scholarships, college preparation, tutoring, parental involvement and motivational activities.

Recently, the Ford Driving Dreams Tour extended to Panama, its debut international destination, where Ford and Ford Fund assisted over 300 teen students in learning new skills. In partnership with United Way Panama and the Ministry of Education Panama, Ford Driving Dreams provided the teens with over $50,000 in grants, scholarships and motivational activities intended to encourage them to stay in school.

Ford Driving Dreams narrowed its philanthropic scope to cover Panamanian students between 13 and 15 years old because this age group is the most likely to drop out of school as a result of poor social and economic conditions that prevent adequate provisions of school supplies, meals and transportation.

The over 300 students selected to receive aid from Ford Driving Dreams came from 19 public schools located in some of the most unstable and impoverished communities in and around Panama City, Panama. The students are in good academic standing despite their impoverished environments, and Ford wanted to help unleash their potential to prevent them from succumbing to stifling social and economic pressures.

According to Ford, the Ford Driving Dreams program gave the students a full day of motivational and goal-setting activities led by professional subject-matter experts, as well as testimonies from motivational speakers like former Boxing World Champion Chemito Moreno and athlete César Barría– the first disabled Latin- and Central-American to swim across the Strait of Gibraltar. 

Ford Driving Dreams also promoted the “What Drives Your Dreams?” essay contest that emphasizes the value of education and chasing your dreams while also contributing to the community.  It will provide $10,500 in scholarships, administered by United Way Panama, to help students and their families finance the costs of school supplies, books, transportation and meals that lead to students dropping out.

It’s very heartwarming to see the Ford Driving Dreams Tour extended to Panama as an addition to its Operation Better World, Ford’s global philanthropic effort, and its pre-existing environmental efforts in Panama. Overall, Ford has now invested around $900,000 in Central America since it first awarded environmental grants in 2001.

While we love the quality design, technology and performance you can find in New Ford Cars or New Ford Trucks, it’s Ford’s passion for maintaining a global community presence that really drives our Bartonville area Ford dealer where we also have a passion for community involvement!

At Velde Automotive Group, we are committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Feel free to visit either of our dealerships, Velde Ford at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554 or Velde Cadillac Buick GMC is located at 2220 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.

Visit our websites: VeldeGM.com and VeldeFordPekin.com

Follow us on: Velde GM Facebook, Velde Ford Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram

2016 Ford F-150 Limited Debuts this Winter

PEKIN, Illi.– Your idea of automotive luxury will change when the 2016 Ford F-150 Limited debuts this winter and Ford redefines what it means to drive an exclusive pickup truck.

The 2016 F-150 Limited is Ford’s most advanced pickup truck to date and is set apart from competitors by its enhanced features, ingenious technology and chic design elements. There is a growing consumer segment that desires more glamorous vehicles, such as the high-performance 2016 Ford Mustang, and Ford is happy to provide these consumers with a ritzy pickup.

The 2016 F-150 Limited will come in four colors: Shadow Black, Magnetic, Blue Jeans and a White Platinum Metallic tri-coat. These luxurious colors will be accentuated by a number of notable features when the 2016 Ford F-150 Limited debuts this winter, including:

• 22-inch polished aluminum wheels
• Raised lettering on the hood that says LIMITED
• An exclusive grille
• A satin-finished chrome bumper, door handles, exhaust tailpipe and tailgate badge

The 2016 F-150 Limited comes ready with SYNC 3, the latest version of Ford’s communications and entertainment system, as well as a Sony 10-speaker sound system with HD Radio, a subwoofer and CD player, and a 5-year subscription to SiriusXM and TravelLink. Other technologies available for the luxury pickup include:

• BLIS with cross-traffic alert
• A panoramic vista roof
• Power-deployable running boards
• Quad-beam LED headlamps
• Remote start and tailgate release
• An integrated brake controller
• A lane-keeping system, 360-degree camera system and dynamic trailer hitch assist (these make up an optional package)

The 2016 F-150 Limited’s interior can’t overlooked, with vogue design elements like:

• A laser-engraved VIN plate with a production number visible on the center console lid
• Unique floor mats
• A distinct instrument cluster face
• Fiddleback eucalyptus wood and aluminum trimming
• Special scuff plates with ice blue backlighting

You also get great performance with the 2016 F-150 Limited, which gets an EPA-estimated 20 miles per gallon after a combined 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway with its 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine. And don’t let the image of luxury fool you– the Limited can tow over 10,000 pounds with a powertrain that pumps 365 horsepower and 420 pounds per foot of torque, which no other pickup in the Limited’s class is capable of.

We understand a luxury pickup like the 2016 F-150 Limited isn’t for everyone, but if you’re like us then you know how exciting it is when New Ford Cars or New Ford Trucks are unveiled. Pass the days between now and when the new Limited is released this winter and check out the inventory at our Washington, IL, area Ford dealership.

At Velde Automotive Group, we are committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Feel free to visit either of our dealerships, Velde Ford at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554 or Velde Cadillac Buick GMC is located at 2220 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.

Visit our websites: VeldeGM.com and VeldeFordPekin.com

Follow us on: Velde GM Facebook, Velde Ford Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram

Ford Will Make Headlights that Track Objects at Night

PEKIN, Illi.­– Nighttime drives can be relaxing for passengers, but if you’re the one manning the vehicle you know how stressful it can be when your headlights make only a short span of road in front of you visible. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were technology to help you notice potential hazards so you can safely navigate the night?

You’re in luck, because with new technology called Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System and Spot Lighting, Ford will make headlights that track obstacles at night. The new technology will help you become a safer and more relaxed driver when the sun goes down, and builds on Fords Adaptive Front Lighting System and Traffic Sign Recognition that are already implemented into its vehicles.

The Camera-Based Advanced Front Lighting System is able to widen the light beam at intersections and roundabouts to highlight objects outside of your vehicle’s path that you normally wouldn’t notice at night.

GPS information enables the system to understand when bends or other alterations in a route occur so your headlights can adjust to illuminate them. However, you know how unreliable GPS can be at times, which is why Ford installed a forward-facing video camera in the rear-view mirror base that understands lane markings and can foretell a road’s shape and remembers that information for next time.

Spot Lighting technology brings your attention to objects that are in your vehicle’s path or just outside it using an infrared camera in the vehicle’s grille that can detect and trace eight people or large animals up to 360 feet away.

The system can spotlight two hazards by displaying a spot and a stripe on the road illuminated by two special LED lamps alongside the fog lights. The spotlighted objects are signified with a red or yellow frame on the screen inside the vehicle, depending on how close they are to you.

With the amount of accidents that occur at night due to a driver’s inability to notice objects, it’s great to know that Ford will make headlights that track obstacles at night in order to improve your level of safety when you drive at night. For now this technology is still being developed and tested in Europe, but Ford plans to implement it into its vehicles in the near future.

Even without this headlight technology, the New Ford Cars and New Ford Trucks at our Dealership are incredible safe. Suffice it to say, if you’re looking for a safe vehicle, you want to look in Ford’s direction. For now this technology is still being developed and tested in Europe, but Ford plans to implement it into its vehicles once the systems are road-ready. Even without this headlight technology, the Ford Cars and New Ford Trucks at our Bartonville area Ford dealer are incredible safe.

At Velde Automotive Group, we are committed to providing our customers with an unbeatable level of service and a great car buying experience. Feel free to visit either of our dealerships, Velde Ford at 2200 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554 or Velde Cadillac Buick GMC is located at 2220 North 8th Street, Pekin, IL 61554.

Visit our websites: VeldeGM.com and VeldeFordPekin.com

Follow us on: Velde GM Facebook, Velde Ford Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram